Magnets: Research and General
Acceptance of Magnetic Therapy
More Widely Accepted as an Alternative Method for
Pain Relief
Magnetic therapy is becoming more and more widely
accepted as an alternative method for pain relief.
Since the late 1950s, hundreds of studies have
demonstrated the effectiveness of magnetic therapy.
In 1997, a group of physicians at Baylor College of
Medicine in Houston, Texas studied the use of
magnetic therapy in 50 patients who had developed
polio earlier in life. These patients had muscle and
joint pain that standard treatments failed to
manage. In this study, 29 of the patients wore a
magnet taped over a trouble spot, and 21 others wore
a nonmagnetic device. Neither the researchers nor
the patients were told which treatment they were
receiving (magnetic or nonmagnetic). As is the case
with most studies involving a placebo, some of the
patients responded to the nonmagnetic therapy, but
75% of those using the magnetic therapy reported
feeling much better.
In another study at New York Medical College in
Valhalla, New York, a neurologist tested magnetic
therapy on a group of 19 men and women complaining
of moderate to severe burning, tingling, or numbness
in their feet. Their problems were caused by
diabetes or other conditions present such as
alcoholism. This group of patients wore a magnetic
insole inside one of their socks or shoes for 24
hours a day over a two-month period, except while
bathing. They wore a nonmagnetic insert in their
other sock or shoe. Then for two months they wore
magnetic inserts on both feet. By the end of the
study, nine out of ten of the diabetic patients
reported relief, while only three of nine
nondiabetic patients reported relief. The
neurologist in charge of the study believes that
this study opens the door to additional research
into magnetic therapy for diabetic patients. He
plans a larger follow-up study in the near future.
As of 2000, a federally funded study is underway at
the University of Virginia. This study is evaluating
the effectiveness of magnetic mattress pads in
easing the muscle pain, stiffness and fatigue
associated with fibromyalgia.
Magnetic therapy is also being studied in the
treatment of depression in patients with bipolar
disorder. A procedure called repeated transcranial
magnetic stimulation has shown promise in treating
this condition. In this particular study, patients
with depression had a lower relapse rate than did
those using electroconvulsive therapy. Unlike
electroconvulsive therapy, patients using magnetic
therapy did not suffer from seizures, memory lapses,
or impaired thinking.
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